Scolarest brings Esteamed to West Sussex... and other food service news

Scolarest brings Esteamed to West Sussex
Scolarest has signed a five-year deal with West Sussex County Council to supply meals to 238 primary schools via its Esteam system. The deal is worth £12.5m in total turnover over the five years and Scolarest will provide 4.1 million meals annually. Through Esteam, meals are prepared off-site and then steam-cooked at the school in microwave ovens.

Scotland's historic sites available for weddings
Four of Scotland's most popular historic sites have joined the list of venues available for weddings and corporate events, opening up new opportunities for the Scottish division of Sodhexo Prestige. The four sites - Linlithgow Palace, West Lothian; Craigmillar Castle, south-east Edinburgh; Aberdour Castle, Fife; and Dirleton Castle, East Lothian - all come under the care of Historic Scotland, with whom Sodexho Prestige already has a contract. As well as providing catering, Prestige will market the use of the sites for hospitality events in conjunction with Historic Scotland. More than £30,000-worth of advanced bookings has already been secured.

Eurest wins £405,000 contract at Pentlands Science Park
The Scottish arm of Eurest has secured a three-year deal, worth £405,000, with Pentlands Science Park in Penicuik, Midlothian. Eurest will provide catering, including breakfast, lunch and afternoon tea, for the park's refectory, which is used by about 450 employees. The four-strong team will also provide hospitality for evening and weekend functions. The contract was won from Autograph Food Service

Henley College sticks with Redcliffe Catering
Redcliffe Catering has re-secured its contract with Henley College in Coventry for a further four years. The company has held the £420,000 per annum turnover contract since 2002, providing an all-day service to 1,400 full-time and 1,600 part-time students. The re-awarding of the contract coincides with all members of the catering team completing their City & Guilds qualification in healthy diet and nutrition.

Northamptonshire trials Saffron system
Northamptonshire County Council is trialling Fretwell-Downing Hospitality's web-based Saffron nutrition system. The system is designed to help schools ensure their lunches meet Government nutrient standards ahead of the September 2008 deadline. Initially the system will be used to analyse the menus of a small number of schools, although the intention is for the technology to be made available to all the schools in the county in due course.

Charlton House wins Welsh Assembly contract
The National Assembly for Wales, based at Cardiff Bay, has awarded its catering contract to independent caterer Charlton House. The caterer will take over from Avenance on 2 September at the original Assembly Office and at the new Senedd building in Cardiff Bay. A team of 30 will provide catering and hospitality services for about 650 people on site, plus visitors and guests during the three-year contract. The contract value was stated only as a six-figure sum.

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